Uganda’s parliament passed the anti-LGBTQ+ bill for a second time on Tuesday (2 May), removing a provision that would have made it illegal to simply identify as LGBTQ+.
It remains a deeply troubling piece of legislation designed to persecute the community. Within its clauses is the introduction of the death penalty for the crime of “aggravated homosexuality” – ostensibly said to mean having sex with a minor, having sex while HIV positive or engaging in incest.
With the bill now awaiting president Yoweri Museveni’s signature, the lack of safe asylum routes for LGBTQ+ Ugandans is an urgent issue.
“The Anti-Homosexuality Bill will mean that Uganda has among the harshest anti-LGBTQ+ laws in the world, and violent attacks on LGBTQ+ Ugandans are likely to increase in its wake,” Labour MP Nadia Whittome told PinkNews.
“The UK government must urge Uganda’s president to veto the bill and create safe routes for LGBTQ+ refugees fleeing persecution to rebuild their lives in the UK.” » | Patrick Kelleher | Friday, May 5, 2023
